Josh making Cape Town his home away from home

We are officially completed with orientation and have begun our internships!!! Before I talk about what I’ve learned and the exciting first day I had at Surplus Peoples Project (SPP) I wanted to talk about one highlight I had from the end of orientation.

On Saturday, a group of us decided to brave the heat and hike up Table Mountain.  From colonization, to apartheid, and to the formation of the new “democratic” state, the mountain has stood tall as a symbol many embrace as representing the heart of Cape Town.  Even while touring Robben Island, our guide told us that they looked at the mountain for so many years that when they were finally released, a group of former prisoners all hiked the mountain together as a sign of victory.  There is something about looking up a monstrous mountain and then hiking up it and looking down across the city.  When we got to the top and looked out, we could see the coastline, communities we had toured, Robben Island, and even the Rondebosch commons (near where we live), and the University of Cape Town.  As I hiked the mountain, I reflected on what it represents.  For decades underneath this mountain, people were forced to leave their homes and relocate, people were marginalized, lives were lost in a struggle for democracy and freedom, and wounds and scars were made that will always remain with the country, yet amidst it all, the mountain stood tall. 

Orientation was a great way to make Cape Town my new home away from home and experience the culture, history, and people that make Cape Town a beautiful place.  And hiking the mountain at the end of learning about all the history and hearing from some local people about their experiences was a great way to appreciate just what the mountain means for so many who have looked up to it for years as a piece of beauty amidst all the adversity.    

On Monday, I officially started as an intern at the Surplus Peoples Project.  The people there are amazing, and I am excited about diving in.  I have free reign to involve myself in whatever project I see as valuable or one I could have an impact on, and I look forward to exploring different possibilities.  With that in mind, I wanted to share one funny story that happened on the first day.  Despite being told we were not needed for the rest of the week because they would all be at strategic planning meetings in a different part of the country, ironically that was not the funniest even of the day.  Since it was the first day, Isabel and I decided to get dressed up to make sure we made a good first impression.  I was wearing nice khaki pants and a button up colored shirt.  About halfway through the day, one of my coworkers at the office named Pedro goes, “Josh, why are you wearing these clothes?  You look like a doctors son!”  I explained that in the United States, business casual is typical for any office setting and we wanted to make sure we didn’t underdress on the first day.  Pedro responded saying, “Well if you wear that in the communities where the farmers live, they are going to think you are a white commercial farm owner.  You wouldn’t want them to think you’re on the other side, they may attack you.”  So he gave me one of the Surplus Peoples Projects t-shirts and told me to go to the bathroom and change.  Well, I can say after that I will not be wearing fancy clothes to the office anymore.  Anyways, Pedro and the other people who work there are great.  I am really looking forward to the opportunity to work with them but most importantly, just to have conversations with them and learn from them.  Already, at “family lunch time” we had conversations about the differences between the US and South Africa, then we talked to Hirschell our director about why the organization does not have many funding issues like most NGOs, discussed why SPP would never accept funding from the US government or USAID, etc.  This experience will definitely be about being proactive and asking to get involved and take action.  But I am excited and looking forward to what I will learn and do with my time here in South Africa.

           

Side note, since we weren’t needed at SPP today or tomorrow, we went to the Eros school and I got to play soccer with a bunch of the kids at lunch.  Had been waiting to do that since I got here!!!